Drawworks



Feb. 23, G E CAMPBELL A DRAWWORKS Filed April 15, 1935 -4 Sheets-Sheet l Moi M Feb. 23, 1937. G. E. CAMPBELL DRAWWORKS Filed April 15, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 Feb. 23, 1937. G E, CA L 2,072,024

DRAWWORKS Filed April 15, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 alto-1mm;

Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mmwwoaxs Application April 15, 1935, Serial No. 16,522

11 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in drawworks of the type used in oil-well drilling, for operating the rotary table and for lowering the drill pipe.

It is very desirable to drive the rotary table at more than one speed in order to make as much time in drilling as the different ground formations will allow. If it is necessary to slow down the driving engine to change the speed of the in rotary table, the horse-power of the engine is correspondingly reduced, and it is preferable to change gears or sprocket ratios to accomplish the changes of the rotary speed without a loss of power. It is also desirable to have available as many different speeds of the drum on the drawworks as is possible without changing the engine speed.

The object of this invention is to provide the utmost compactness of the drawworks, and with the sprockets or gears so arranged that when the main driving sprocket is running at a constant speed, multiple speeds may be had on the drumshaft, the jack-shaft, and in some instances on the line-shaft.

A further object of the invention is to drive the drum-shaft directly from the jack-shaft or the shaft on which the main driving sprocket is mounted, so that the heavy chain pull from the drum back to the chain driving the drawworks comes practically in a straight line. However,

provision is made for connecting the jack-shaft with the line-shaft so that the jack-shaft is run at different speeds, thereby providing means to drive the rotary sprocket and the drum-shaft at different speeds without changing the speed of the engines or the main driving sprocket. These changes of speed are accomplished without the addition of any shafts or parts exterior to the drawworks proper, and with approximately no additional material of substantial character inasmuch as the drawworks still is of the three shaft type and no fourth shaft is employed. However, the drum shaft may be driven from the line shaft, if desired, instead of from the jack-shaft, although not as many drum speeds would be obtained, but there would be the same number of rotary speeds.

I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, together with some modifications thereof, in the accompanying drawings, although other modifications are possible and will be apparent according to different speeds desired or different clutch arrangements preferred.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved drawworks, partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the lay- 5 out of the drives;

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view, partly in section, showing a modification in the drive construction; and

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view showing a further 10 modification therein.

Referring to the preferred embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4. the jack-shaft is designated generally by the numeral I. A main driving sprocket gear 2 has a long hub 3 journaled on bushings 4 on the jack-shaft l for free rotation relative thereto. The sprocket 2 is driven by a chain 2' (Fig. 3) from the usual driving engine (not shown).

A sprocket 5 is journaled on the hub 3 of the driving sprocket 2 for free rotation thereof relative to the hub. Sprocket 5 is connected by means of sprocket or other gearing 6 with a sprocket 'l fixed or keyed to line-shaft 8.

A sprocket 9 is journalcd on a bushing ID on jack-shaft I for free rotation relative to the jack-' shaft, and the sprocket 9 is connected by chain or other gearing II with a sprocket l2 keyed or otherwise fixed to line-shaft 8. The sprocket 9 has a clutch jaw l3 fixed to one side thereof for engagement with one side of a clutch l4 slidably mounted upon, and keyed to, the hub 3 of the driving sprocket 2. The opposite side of clutch I4 is adapted to engage a clutch jaw i5 at one side of sprocket 5, so that the clutch l4 may be moved into-engagement alternately either with the clutch jaw l3 or the clutch jaw [5 in order to form a driving connection between hub 3 of the driving sprocket 2 and sprocket 9 or sprocket 5, through which and the connected gearing the line-sliaft 8 is driven. The clutch i4 may be operated from hand-lever l B through suitable connections.

A sprocket I! is journal ed on a bushing i8 on the jack-shaft l, and is connected through a 45 chain or other gearing I!) with a sprocket 20 keyed or otherwise fixed to the line-shaft 8 to be driven thereby for driving the jack-shaft I. A clutch 2! is slidably keyed to the jack-shaft l, and has one side in position to engage a clutch-Jaw 22 on sprocket H. The opposite side of the clutch 2| is adapted to engage a clutch jaw 23 fixed to one side of the driving sprocket 2; The clutch 2| may be actuated by hand-lever 24 through suitable connections, for alternately engaging either of the clutch jaws 22 or 23, and thereby connect either of the sprockets H or 2 with the jack-shaft for driving the same.

The drum-shaft of the drawworks is designated by the numeral 24 and has the usual drum 25 mounted thereon to be driven by rotation of the drum-shaft 24. slidably keyed to drum-shaft 24 are jaw clutches 25 and 26, actuated by the usual pedals 21 and 21 through suitable connections therewith. The clutch 25 is in position to engage the clutch jaw 28' fixed to one side of a sprocket 28 which is connected by sprocket or other gearing 29 with a sprocket 30, keyed or otherwise fixed to jack-shaft I, so that when the clutch 25' is in engagement with jaw 28 the jack-shaft drives the drum-shaft 24 and the drum mounted thereon.

The clutch 26 is in position to engage a clutch jaw 3| fixed to one side of sprocket 32 journaled on the drum-shaft 24 and connected through sprocket or other gearing 33 with a sprocket 34 keyed to the jack-shaft I, so that when the clutch 26 is in engagement with the jaw 3|, the jack-shaft drives the drum-shaft 24 and the drum mounted thereon through the gearing 32--34.

The jack-shaft I has a clutch 35 slidably keyed thereto for engaging a clutch jaw 36 fixed to one side of sprocket 31 journaled on the jack-shaft for free rotation relative thereto. The sprocket 31 is adapted to drive the rotary table through sprocket chain 38, which may be guided by a sprocket 39 journaled on a bushing surrounding the drum-shaft 24 for free rotation relative thereto. The clutch 35 is actuated by the usual foot-pedal 40 through suitable connections.

peration.--The engine drives sprocket 2 prefer'ably at a constant speed of rotation, which, therefore, rotates the hub 3 of said sprocket about the jack-shaft Sprockets 5, 9 and H are mounted loosely on the jack-shaft. Sprockets from the j ack-shaft.

and 9 are of different diameters and are adapted to be driven alternately when engaged, respectively, by the clutch 14, which is rotated by the driving sprocket 2 and the hub 3 thereof.

When the clutch I4 is in engagement with either of the clutch jaws |3 or l5, the sprocket 9 or 5 is driven, and drives the line-shaft 8 at a speed corresponding with the number of teeth on the respective sprockets, which, therefore, gives the line-shaft two different speeds according to which of the sprockets is engaged. The lineshaft in turn drives the sprocket I1, which, therefore, is also driven at two different speeds as likewise the jack-shaft An additional speed of the jack-shaft is obtained by driving it directly from the driving sprocket 2 upon engagement of the clutch 2| with the clutch jaw 23, so that the jackshaft is thereby driven selectively at three different speeds.

It will be noted that the line-shaft 8 is used for driving the jack-shaft, and that the drumshaft as well as the rotary table are both driven Inasmuch as the jackshaft is selectively driven at three different speeds, in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, and since the drum 25 on the drum-shaft 24 is selectively driven at two different speeds relative to the jack-shaft according to which of the clutches 25 or 26 is engaged, this gives six different speeds on the drum.

The sprocket 31 driving the rotary table being on the jack-shaft and driven thereby, drives the rotary table selectively at three difierent speeds,

in this form of the invention, when the clutch 35 is in engagement.

The driving connections between the various parts are clearly shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4, which illustrates the manner in which the parts are connected together in driving relation.

It will be understood that while the sprocket gearing isshown connecting the parts together, and while sprocket gearing may be preferable, other forms of gearing may be used wherever practicable.

The drawworks constructed according to my invention utilizes essentially three main shafts, 8 and 24, which I preferably mount in suitable bearings in two upright frames or posts 4|, which are carried on a base 42, and the upper parts of these are preferably connected together and braced by a cross-member 43.

The modification oi the invention, which is represented in Fig. 5, differs from that described above only as to the arrangement of the clutches and sprockets on the jack-shaft. The driving sprocket 2 is rotatably journaled on the jackshaft P but keyed to the hub of the driving sprocket 2 on opposite sides of sprocket 2 are half chain couplings 45 and 46, either of which is adapted to be connected by a chain 41 with a companion half coupling.

A sprocket 48 is journaled on the jack-shaft I and has a half coupling 49 keyed to the hub thereof adapted to be connected by the coupling chain 41 with the adjacent half coupling 45 in order to drive the sprocket 48 from the driving sprocket 2 The sprocket 48 is adapted to be connected with a sprocket 58 keyed to line-shaft 8 A sprocket 5| is jour naled loosely on the jackshaft and has a half coupling 52 keyed to the hub thereof adjacent to the half coupling 46 and adapted to be connected therewith through coupling chain 41 for driving the sprocket 5| from the driving sprocket 2 A sprocket 59' on the line-drive 8 is adapted to be connected With the sprocket 5|.

With the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, the coupling chain 41 connects the half couplings 46 and 52, driving the sprocket 5| at the same speed as the driving sprocket 2 which drives the lineshaft 8 and through the sprockets 48-50, the sprocket 48 is driven at a slower speed since it is larger than the sprocket 5|. The sprocket 48 thus drives jack-shaft through the clutch 53 keyed to the jack-shaft and adapted to have clutch engagement with a clutch jaw 54 on the sprocket 48 to drive the jack-shaft at the reduced speed.

When the chain 41 is removed from the half couplings 46 and 52, andplaced on the half couplings 45 and 49, sprocket 48 is thereby connected with the driving sprocket 2 so as to be rotated at the same speed, which in turn drives sprocket 5| through the sprockets 50 and 58', and lineshaft 8 A clutch 55 is slidably keyed to the jack-shaft l in position to engage a clutch jaw 56 on sprocket 5| for connecting the sprocket 5| with the jack-shaft, and-when the sprocket 5| is driven from the sprocket 48 through the lineshaft, the jack-shaft is driven at an increased speed, that is, faster than the speed of the sprocket 2. The clutches 53 and 55 will be so connected by levers that they cannot both be engaged at the same time, but when either of the clutches 53 or 55 is engaged, and the chain 41. connects the adjacent or corresponding pair of half couplings, the jack-shaft will be driven at the same speed as the driving sprocket 2". In

this way, the jack-shaft is driven selectively at three different speeds which will thereby drive the rotary table at three different speeds and provide selectively six different speeds on the drum-shaft as described above.

In the further modification shown in Fig. 6, the driving sprocket is designated 2, and is loosely journaled on jack-shaft U for free rotation relative thereto. Fixed to the hub of the driving sprocket 2 on one side thereof is a sprocket 51 in position to be connected with a sprocket 58 keyed on line-shaft 8". Fixed on the hub of the driving sprocket 2 on the opposite side thereof is a clutch jaw 59 in position to be engaged by one side of a clutch 6U slidably keyed to jack-shaft l for engagement therewith when moved in one direction, and when moved in the opposite direction, clutch 60 is adapted to engage a clutch-jaw 6| fixed to a sprocket B2 loosely journaled on jack-shaft l Sprocket 62 is adapted to be connected with a sprocket 63 keyed on the line-shaft 8 The sprockets 51 and iii; are of difierent diameters, so that while sprocket 51 will be driven at the same speed as the driving sprocket 2 it will drive the sprocket 62 at a different speed which will be reduced in the relation shown in Fig. 6 since the sprocket B2 is larger than the sprocket 51. Thus when clutch 60 engages jaw 6|, jackshaft I will be driven at a reduced speed, less than the driving sprocket 2*. However, when clutch 60 engages jaw 59, the jack-shaft will be connected directly with the driving sprocket 2 and will be driven at the same speed.

In this way, the jack-shaft may be driven selectively at two different speeds and the drumshaft connected therewith may be driven selectively at four difierent speeds, as described above.

The foregoing description will show that there are many different combinations of speeds that can be arranged according to the arrangement of the gears or sprockets, but in all of the foregoing the main driving sprocket is mounted loose- 1y on the jack-shaft for free rotation relative thereto.

Connected with or mounted on the hub of the driving sprocket, either tight or loose, is one or more sprockets or gears that are free to rotate around or on the jack-shaft; and these sprockets or gears are geared to corresponding sprockets or gears on the line-shaft. The line-shaft is in turn geared to the jack-shaft through the free running sprockets or gears on the jack-shaft independent of the first-mentioned driving sprocket or gear thereon, so that the jack-shaft is adapted to be driven from the line-shaft, and clutches are mounted on the jack-shaft to connect the sprockets or gears to their driven members, and to connect the loose sprockets that are driven from the line-shaft, to the jack-shaft.

In other words, the driving engine operates a sprocket on the jack-shaft which may drive the jack-shaft either directly through a clutch or clutches thereon, or indirectly through the lineshaft; but in this transmission of power different ratios of speed are obtained to the different sized gears or sprockets and different clutch means in order to obtain one or more speeds selectively on the jack-shaft, and, therefore, one or more speeds selectively on the rotary table and drum.

I claim:

1. In a drawworks, the combination of a jackshaft, a line-shaft, means mounting said shafts, a driving gear loosely mounted on the jack-shaft, clutch means on one side of said driving gear for connecting the driving gear directly with the jack-shaft, gearing on the opposite side of said driving gear from the clutch means and connecting the driving gear with the line-shaft for driving the line-shaft therefrom, a gear loosely mounted on the jack-shaft and geared to the line-shaft to be driven thereby, and clutch means connecting said last-mentioned gear with the jack-shaft for selectively driving the jack-shaft from the line-shaft.

2. In a drawworks, the combination of a jackshaft, a line-shaft, means mounting said shafts, a driving gear loosely journaled on the jack-shaft, a second gear surrounding the jack-shaft, clutch means for connecting the second gear with the driving gear, a third gear surrounding the jackshaft and journaled thereon, clutch means for connecting the third gear with the jack-shaft, gearing connecting the second and third gears with the line-shaft for selectively driving the jack-shaft from the line-shaft, and clutch means for connecting the jack-shaft with the driving gear other than through the second gear.

3. In a drawworks, the combination of a jackshaft, a line-shaft, a drum-shaft having a winding drum thereon, a driving gear journaled loosely on the jack-shaft, second and third gears journaled loosely on the jack-shaft, the second gear being connected with and driven by the driving gear, means for driving the line-shaft from the second gear, means for driving the third gear from the line-shaft, clutch means connecting the third gear with the jack-shaft for selectively driving said jack shaft therefrom, clutch means for connecting the driving gear with the jack-shaft other than through the second gear or the line-shaft, means for selectively driving the drum-shaft directly from the jack-shaft, and means mounted on the jack-shaft for driving a rotary table therefrom.

4. In a drawworks, the combination of a jackshaft, a line-shaft, a drum-shaft having a winding drum thereon, a driving gear journaled loosely on the jack-shaft, gearing for forming a driving connection between the jack-shaft and the lineshaft, a clutch at one side of the driving gear for connecting said driving gear directly with the jack-shaft, and clutch means for connecting the opposite side of the driving gear with the gearing for driving the line-shaft.

5. In a drawworks, the combination of a jackshaft, a line-shaft, a drum-shaft having a winding drum thereon, means forming a driving connection from the jack-shaft to the drum shaft, a driving gear journaled loosely on the jack-shaft, second and third gears mounted on the jack-shaft and geared to the line-shaft, a clutch at one side of the driving gear for connecting said driving gear directly with the jack-shaft, and clutch means at the opposite side of the driving gear for driving the jack-shaft through the second and third gears and the line-shaft.

6. In a three-shaft drawworks, the combination of a, jack-shaft, a line-shaft, a drum-shaft, said shafts being arranged in parallel relation, the drum-shaft having a winding drum thereon, a driving gear loosely journaled on the jackshaft, clutch means on one side of the driving gear for connecting said gear with the jackshaft independently of the line-shaft, a second gear on the opposite side of said driving ear from the clutch means and journaled on the jack-shaft, and means forming driving connections between the line-shaft and the second gear and jack-shaft.

"7. In a three-shaft drawworks, the combination of a jack-shaft, a line-shaft, a drum-shaft, said shafts being arranged in parallel relation. the drum-shaft carrying a winding drum thereon, a driving gear loosely journaled on the jackshaft, clutch means on one side of the driving gear for direct connection therewith and connected with the jack-shaft, a second gear on the opposite side of said driving gear from the clutch means and journaled on the jack-shaft, and means forming a driving connection between the line-shaft and the second gear and jack-shaft respectively.

8. In a three-shaft drawworks, the combination of a jack-shaft, a line-shaft, a drum-shaft, said shafts being arranged in parallel relation, the drum-shaft carrying a winding drum thereon, a driving gear loosely journaled on the jackshaft, clutch means on one side of the driving gear for direct connection therewith and connected with the jack-shaft, a second gear on the opposite side of said driving gear from the clutch means and journaled on the jack-shaft, means forming a driving connection between the lineshaft and the second gear and jack-shaft respectively, and means forming a direct driving connection between the jack-shaft and the drumshaft.

9. In a three-shaft drawworks, the combination of a jack-shaft, a line-shaft, a drum-shaft, said shafts being arranged in parallel relation, the drum-shaft carrying a winding drum thereon, gearing extending from opposite end portions of the jack-shaft to opposite end portions of the drum-shaft, gearing extending from opposite end portions of the jack-shaft to opposite end portions of the line-shaft, means for connecting the lastmentioned gearing with the first-mentioned gearing for driving the same, a driving gear loosely journaled on the jack-shaft intermediate the gearing at opposite end portions thereof, and means for connecting said driving gear with the line-shaft gearing.

10. In a three-shaft drawworks, the combination of a jack-shaft, a line-shaft, a drum-shaft, said shafts being arranged in parallel relation, the drum-shaft carrying a winding drum thereon, gearing forming a driving connection between opposite end portions of the jack-shaft and the drum-shaft, gearing extending between opposite end portions of the jack-shaft and the line shaft, a driving gear loosely journaled on the jack-shaft intermediate the gearing at opposite end portions thereof, clutch means for connecting said driving gear with the line-shaft gearing, and clutch means for connecting said driving gear with the jack-shaft.

11. In a three-shaft dr'awworks, the combination of a jack-shaft, a line-shaft, a drum shaft, said shafts being arranged in parallel relation, the drum shaft having a winding drum thereon, a driving gear loosely journaled on the jack shaft, clutch means on one side of the driving gear for connecting said gear with the jackshaft independently of the line-shaft, a second gear on the opposite side of the driving'gear from the clutch means and journaled on the jack-shaft, means for driving the second gear from the driving gear, and means forming driving connections between the line-shaft and the second gear and jack-shaft, respectively.

GEORGE E. CAMPBELL. 

